Think about bottled water.  If I showed you three different brands and asked you which one you would choose, you’d have an answer.  If I took those same bottles of water and did a blind taste test, could you tell me the difference?  Probably not.  You chose a certain brand of water in the first exercise because you have a connection to that brand based on its positioning, your perceptions, the way it makes you feel, etc.

When it comes to recruiting, jobs are the product that you’re selling. The best way to effectively market your product is to know your target audience. Knowing the behavior, thought processes and motivations of job candidates will not just lead them to your openings, but lead them to apply to your openings. Understand the key components to job seeker behavior and how to take that knowledge to help build your online brand and marketing strategy.

Having a consistent brand message is essential to cultivating advocates who prefer your brand over another.  From job postings to your career site to your corporate page to the logo on the door – that message — and brand — should be clear.  And this should be brought to life through your recruiters and hiring managers – they are your best brand ambassadors and can carry your message through various mediums.

You’ll find that getting results is not just about posting jobs, it’s about having an online strategy. Online advertising should not be limited to only job postings, nor should it be within the confines of job boards and career sites.  Go to where your consumers are online.  Think about who your ideal consumer is and build a brand to inspire them.

Understanding and properly marketing your own brand is important, but you must also remember to live up to the message.  We owe it to ourselves, as an industry, to treat our candidates with respect and hire the best people.

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